Charles Duran eBook

The minister of the parish came in to pray with him.
He found him ignorant of spiritual things. He
talked to him on the subject of religion,—­urged
him to prepare to meet God. He offered prayer
by his bed-side. He left him, however, showing
very little evidence of penitence, and entertaining
for him very little hope.

Charles lingered along till early in March. The
day of his departure came. The father and mother
bent over his bed: they saw that the hopes which
they entertained at his birth were now to perish.
Instead of his closing their eyes in death, they were
now to perform that office for him. He spoke
not. Oppressive stillness reigned in the room.
Not a sound was heard, save the rattling in the throat
of the dying youth. The last breath was drawn;
life, for a moment, quivered upon his lip. The
spirit took its flight; and the poor mother, in anguish
of soul, exclaimed, "He is dead!"

CHAPTER VIII.

Conclusion.

The way of transgressors is hard. Early did Charles
Duran indulge in habits of disobedience,—­early
was he forgetful of God,—­early did he run
into the paths of vice and intemperance, and early
did he go down to his grave.

Disobedience to parents is a fearful sin! Children
think they know what is best for themselves.
Parental restraint sometimes seems irksome to them;
but God has wisely ordained that in our youth we should
be under the instruction and control of our parents.
Children, instead of feeling that parental control
is oppressive to them, should learn to be thankful
for it. It is enough for well-instructed and well-disposed
children, generally, to know what the wishes of their
parents are. Much of their happiness is derived
from compliance with those wishes. The approbation
of their parents will afford such children far more
pleasure than all their forbidden indulgences.

The school history of Charles Duran will not fail,
I trust, to make a suitable impression upon the minds
of my youthful readers. Scholars sometimes think
that it is not a great offense for them to violate
the rules of their school, neglect their books, or
be unkind even to some of their school-associates.
So this boy thought. The result of his course
is before us. All such children should know that
by such a course of conduct they are laying the foundation
for a bad character. They may, for awhile, escape
punishment; they may not be expelled from school;
they may possibly retain their places in their class;
but they are acquiring those habits which, if not
corrected, will bring ruin upon them by and by.

This boy’s sporting habits ought not to be lightly
passed over. He was exceedingly fond of a gun.
The indulgence of this passion led him into habits
of idleness and cruelty. Boys should rarely, if
ever, be allowed the use of fire-arms: they are
always dangerous. The habits and associations
to which their use leads are generally objectionable.
Boys that are constantly around the brooks after little
fishes, and in the woods in pursuit of little birds,
had better be at their books. We always fear
that idle boys will make idle men.